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Improving Systems, Practices, and Outcomes

Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge

Logo: Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge (an arcing bridge with three stars above it)

The Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge (KSB) Learning Community was funded from August 2023 - September 2024 to facilitate state and local improvement efforts to strengthen the enabling factors for success and implementation of effective strategies that improve the kindergarten experience for every child by offering leaders in State educational agencies (SEAs) as well as local educational agencies (LEAs) the opportunity to participate in peer learning to improve the kindergarten year.

The communities of practice focused on participants' needs, strengths, and priorities. Participants had the opportunity to share promising practices, exemplars, and bright spots, explore new innovations, and strengthen and build new collaborative networks to intentionally center kindergarten as distinct from, but aligned with, practices in the early grades, and identify supports that systems need to effectively implement evidence-based, developmentally informed practices in kindergarten.

On This Page

About KSB

Kindergarten is a critical time for young children to learn and practice a variety of skills, including social, emotional, reading, STEM, and problem-solving skills. Children enter kindergarten from a diverse array of early learning settings and experiences with a wide range of developmental strengths and learning needs. The COVID-19 pandemic had devastating impacts on young children's development and learning, and further exacerbated the already existing inequities for children who have been historically underserved.

The Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community was funded in response to the field challenges and to support the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to focus attention and resources on when they enter school for the first time (a critical point in a child's education), and ensure that all children, including historically underserved children such as those from under-resourced backgrounds, those with developmental delays or disabilities, and young English learners, experience success in kindergarten. The participants considered enabling conditions for success that included:

  1. Educational programming that meets the unique needs of kindergarten children.
  2. Evidence-based and innovative models of instruction in kindergarten.
  3. Evidence-based assessment practices to understand children's knowledge and skills and monitor their learning progress.
  4. Supporting social. emotional, and behavioral learning opportunities for kindergarten children.
  5. Individualization and differentiation of instruction and services for all kindergarten children, including those with disabilities and English learners.
  6. Evidence-based and innovative models to support attendance and engagement in kindergarten.
  7. Intentional and systematic alignment for continuity of services, supports, instruction, transitions, relationships, and data-sharing across the PreK-3 continuum.
  8. Professional development and support in the implementation of developmentally informed kindergarten practices for teachers, school leaders, and staff.
  9. Authentic partnerships that facilitate the capacity of parents, caregivers, and families to extend kindergarten children's out-of-school learning and increase kindergarten engagement and attendance.
  10. Interagency, cross-sector, and community-wide collaboration to support children and families during the kindergarten year.
  11. Strategic blending and braiding of funding streams to facilitate PreK-3 vertical alignment and collaboration.
  12. Policies and practices to reduce gaps and create a more seamless learning experience for children in two key transitions: into kindergarten, and from kindergarten into first grade.

Communities of Practice

There were two primary technical assistance activities to support state and local administrators, educators, and communities on transforming kindergarten into a "sturdy bridge" to early school success and learning recovery, especially for those children who have been historically underserved.

  1. The Multi-State Community of Practice was an opportunity for state teams to participate in a multi-state cohort where they focused on the necessary infrastructure and leverage points that center kindergarten as distinct from, but aligned with, practices in the early grades, built and strengthened collaborative networks, and identified support that LEAs may need to effectively implement evidence-based developmentally informed practices. Through the community of practice, national partners supported state teams in planning and implementing systems improvement efforts impacting the kindergarten year. Information from content experts and opportunities for peer-to-peer support focused on state-identified strengths, needs, and priorities.
  2. The Local Community of Practice was an opportunity for local leaders, nominated by their state team, to participate in a community of practice that focused on local implementation of evidence-based and innovative practices that address the unique developmental needs of kindergarten children. Local leaders engaged in monthly community of practice calls that include bright spots, exemplars, presentations, resources, and problem-solving around topics identified by the needs and interests of the community.

Participating States and National Partners

The Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community launched in October 2023, with seventeen state teams:

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Hawai'i
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • North Dakota
  • Oregon
  • South Carolina
  • Wisconsin

National partners that engaged with FPG/UNC to support the Learning Community included:

Video Moments

In these short videos, Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge partners share strategies to improve kindergarten for every child.

The Children's Equity Project's New Framework for Elementary Education is guided by research, data, learnings from schools across the United States, and parent and family voice. (32:12)

Drs. Shantel Meek and Xigrid Soto-Boykin dive into the Children's Equity Project report on DLI programs and how to operationalize them to their fullest capacity. (20:38)

Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge hosted the CDC in a discussion on declining vaccination rates for school-aged children. (1 hr)

Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge hosted the Capitol Broadcasting Corporation and PBS Kids who discussed their Ready to Learn initiative and shared programming and resources to support children's learning. (57:05)

This video is a presentation by Laura Bornfreund, Senior Fellow and Advisor of Early and Elementary Education, New America. Bornfreund provides an overview of kindergarten as the first universal access point for all children's education and the foundation for all future learning and the need to strengthen kindergarten to better connect or "bridge" Pre-K and other early learning programs with first through third grade experiences. (10:47)

This video features an interview with Dr. Nell K. Duke, Stand for Children, University of Michigan. Duke describes the science of reading overall and then provides details on how it can be reflected in kindergarten. She emphasizes that the science of reading involves promotion of equity throughout the entire kindergarten day through teacher expectations and practices. (17:06)

This video from Hedy Chang, Executive Director and President of Attendance Works, highlights the current problem with chronic absence and consequence of academic risk. She warns that chronic absenteeism is a leading indicator and a cause of educational inequity. Chang tells us that these data mean we must redouble investment in positive conditions for learning. The updated Early Matters Toolkit is available to support schools, districts, and communities. (8:30)

This video presentation by Dr. Sharon Ritchie, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill, addresses the responsibility of schools, administrators, teachers, and communities to be "ready" to welcome and support children in kindergarten. Ritchie looks at all that we know from brain research, trajectories, and universal needs, and the implications for schools, curriculum, and practices. (13:24)

This video illuminates alignment of SEAL pedagogy and principles from preschool through 5th grade to deepen the understanding of the SEAL model. It demonstrates a key principle of the EL Roadmap, Alignment and Articulation, as a crucial pillar and element of powerful education – for all students, and, particularly for English Learners. (9:40)

Newsletters

Quarterly newsletters provided updates from Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge with lists of topical resources.